Shelburne Rotary Club running annual Thanksgiving Food Drive to address local food insecurity

October 2, 2025 · 0 Comments

Written By PAULA BROWN

LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE REPORTER

Shelburne residents will have the opportunity to help others during the giving season.

The Rotary Club of Shelburne has launched its annual Thanksgiving Food Drive.

“During Thanksgiving, we appreciate where we are in life and what we have, and it’s a time to reach out to people; to give to others,” said Bill Waite, organizer of the Thanksgiving Food Drive. “This is an opportunity for the food bank to replenish their supplies they’ve given out through the fall, in preparation for Christmas.”

The Rotary Club of Shelburne started the Thanksgiving Food Drive roughly 10 years ago with the hope of helping address food insecurity in the community.

Each year, the Shelburne Rotary Club uses funds from the Smile Cookie Campaign to purchase 1,000 paper grocery bags. These bags are given to students at Centre Dufferin District High School (CDDHS) to distribute to households around Shelburne.

The Rotary Club said they collect around 500 bags of food each year through the Thanksgiving Food Drive, which is then given to the Shelburne Food Bank.

Residents who receive a grocery bag are then given the chance to fill the bag with items for the Shelburne Food Bank and leave them on the porch. Members of the local Rotary Club will be out on Oct. 11 to collect the items for the food drive.

“Food scarcity is a big issue in every community. This initiative recognizes that the food bank and all the great volunteers can’t do it alone,” said Waite. “We feel honoured that we can help the food bank fight food scarcity.”

While all donations are appreciated, there is a particular need for items such as:

• Canned fruits, vegetables, and fish

• Boxed food, baking supplies, and condiments

• Personal hygiene products (tampons, shampoo, toothpaste, etc.)

• Peanut butter

• Pancake mix, syrup, and cereal

• Pasta sauce

• Bag lunch items for children (juice boxes, granola bars, etc.)

“Your generosity in supporting the Shelburne Food Bank is very much appreciate,” said the Rotary Club of Shelburne.

For those who may miss the collection day, donations can be brought to Pumpkinfest, which will be held at Natasha Paterson Memorial Park on Oct. 11 from noon until 4 p.m.

Anyone interested in getting involved with the Rotary Club of Shelburne or in learning more about the projects the group organizes is encouraged to email ShelburneRotary@gmail.com or visit www.ShelburneRotaryClub.com.